Methods of manufacturing magnetic heads with reference and monitoring devices

Abstract

According to one aspect, an exemplary method for manufacturing a magnetic head includes forming a plurality of magnetoresistive devices, a reference device, and a monitoring device, where the reference device includes a desired stripe height less than the magnetoresistive devices and monitoring device. Material is removed from the air/tape bearing surface, e.g., by lapping, thereby reducing the stripe height of the magnetoresistive devices and monitoring device. A characteristic of the reference device, e.g., resistance, voltage, or the like, is compared with a similar characteristic of the monitoring device, wherein the characteristic of the monitoring device varies as material is removed. Material may be removed from the bearing surface until the characteristic of the monitoring device and the reference device are substantially equal, at which time, the stripe height of the monitoring device and magnetoresistive devices are substantially equal to that of the reference device.

1 : A method for manufacturing a magnetic head, comprising: forming a plurality of magnetoresistive devices, a reference device, and a monitoring device on a substrate; removing material from a bearing surface of the substrate, thereby reducing a stripe height of the magnetoresistive devices; and comparing a characteristic of the reference device with a characteristic of the monitoring device, wherein the characteristic of the monitoring device varies as material is removed from the bearing surface.  
   
   
       2 : The method of  claim 1 , wherein the monitoring device is formed having a stripe height greater than the reference device prior to removing material.  
   
   
       3 : The method of  claim 1 , wherein the monitoring device is formed having a stripe height equal to a read element of the plurality of magnetoresistive devices.  
   
   
       4 : The method of  claim 1 , wherein the reference device is formed having a stripe height defined by photolithographic processing.  
   
   
       5 : The method of  claim 1 , wherein the monitoring device is formed similarly to the magnetoresistive devices.  
   
   
       6 : The method of  claim 1 , wherein the monitoring device and the reference device are formed at the same level as the magnetoresistive devices.  
   
   
       7 : The method of  claim 1 , wherein the monitoring device and the reference device are formed adjacent to and at the same pitch as the magnetoresistive devices.  
   
   
       8 : The method of  claim 1 , wherein the act of removing material from the bearing surface includes lapping the surface.  
   
   
       9 : The method of  claim 1 , wherein the characteristic of the reference device and the characteristic of the monitoring device includes an electrical measurement of the reference device and the monitoring device.  
   
   
       10 : The method of  claim 1 , further comprising sending at least one electrical signal through the reference device and the monitoring device to determine the characteristic of the reference device and the characteristic of the monitoring device.  
   
   
       11 : The method of  claim 1 , wherein the act of removing material from the bearing surface is stopped when the characteristic of the monitoring device is equal to the characteristic of the reference device.  
   
   
       12 : The method of  claim 1 , wherein the magnetoresistive devices include anisotropic magnetoresistive devices or giant magnetoresistive devices.  
   
   
       13 : A magnetic head for use with magnetic storage media manufactured by the method of  claim 1 .  
   
   
       14 - 19 . (canceled)  
   
   
       20 : A multi-channel magnetic recording head, comprising: a plurality of magnetoresistive devices including a reader element and a writer element; and a pair of electronic lapping guides including a monitoring device and a reference device, wherein the monitoring device and the reference device include a reader element.  
   
   
       21 : The magnetic recording head of  claim 20 , further comprising a second pair of electronic lapping guides including a second monitoring device and a second reference device.  
   
   
       22 : The magnetic recording head of  claim 20 , wherein the monitoring device and the reference device are disposed at the same level as the reader element of the magnetoresistive devices.  
   
   
       23 : The magnetic recording head of  claim 20 , wherein the monitoring device and the reference device are disposed adjacent to and at the same pitch as the magnetoresistive devices.  
   
   
       24 : The magnetic recording head of  claim 20 , wherein the magnetoresistive devices include anisotropic magnetoresistive devices or giant magnetoresistive devices.  
   
   
       25 : The magnetic recording head of  claim 20 , wherein the width of the monitoring device and the reference device is equal to or greater than the width of the reader element of the plurality of magnetoresistive devices.  
   
   
       26 : The magnetic recording head of  claim 20 , wherein the width of the monitoring device and the reference device is greater than the width of the reader element of the plurality of magnetoresistive devices.  
   
   
       27 : The magnetic recording head of  claim 20 , wherein the monitoring device and the reference device are used during a lapping process to determine the relative height of the reference device to the monitoring device.